17/05/2024
St Peter’s, Parkstone's vision to be a hub for the community has seen the number attending ‘Breakfast Worship’, the family service held once a month, grow to 120 people – including around 40 children.
Following the pandemic St Peter’s made a number of changes to become a space for the whole community, moving all services and activities into the Church building, buying new chairs that are easy to move around and store, and upgrading the audio-visual set-up.
Rev Mike Trotman, Rector of St Peter’s, who joined the church in 2020, said “the pandemic gave the Church an opportunity to deeply reflect on the way we approach things.”
The previous family service was held in the Church Hall, but it moved into the Church Nave when relaunched in November 2021. ‘Breakfast Worship’ lasts an hour and involves games, singing and craft activities with families invited to do everything together. This has resulted in an eclectic congregation that spans from a newborn baby to a 95-year-old.
Rev Mike said: “At the heart of the service is keeping families together.”
“Parents really appreciate the chance to spend quality time together whilst worshipping.
It is wonderful to see dads helping kids with the craft and elderly members sitting with families to get to know them.”
The growth in attendance at the family service has come from work with local schools and invitations to those families coming for christenings who appreciate the unconditional welcome offered by the Church community.
St Peter’s also offers traditional Said Communion and Sung Communion services which have an average attendance of 60 people in keeping with its vision to be a church for all.
Rev Mike said: “We have a calling to nurture those who are called to traditional forms of worship and those engaging with contemporary expressions of worship for the very first time.”